Control means for wringer drive mechanism



March 2, 1937. P. E. GELDHOF 2,072,632

CONTROL MEANS FOR WRINGER DRivE MECHANISM Filed Aug. 13, 1934 k 3 Sheets-Sheet l rjJ WITNESS j ZZW March 2, 1937. P. E2GELDHOF 2,072,632

CONTROL MEANS FOR WRINGER DRIVE MECHANISM Filed Aug. 15, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 62 1mm TUE 2a WITNESE; 2 78 BY March 2, 1937.

P. E. G'ELDHOF CONTROL MEANS FOR WRINGER DRIVE MECHANISM Filed Aug. 13, 1934 5 SheetS Sheet 5 INYEN 01? BY Z , flTTURIYEYE Patented Mar. 2, 1937 CONTROL MEANS FOR WRINGER DRIVE MECHANISM Peter Eduard'Geldhof, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Easy Washing Machine Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application August 13, 1934, Serial No. 739,528

18 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the drive mechanism for a clothes wringer of. the

pressure r011 type.

The main object of the invention is to provide a power-operated pressure roll wringer for clothes washing machines or the like with means whereby when the pressure on the wringer rolls is released, the drive for the rolls will be automatically discontinued so that the rolls will cease to rotate.

In carrying out the above-mentioned object, I have provided a pressure roll wringer with the conventional drive mechanism comprising a drive shaft adapted to be rotated by a source of power such as an electric motor or the like; two drive pinions arranged. in opposed relation and which are in constant mesh with a driven gear operably connected with one of the wringer rolls, and a reversing gear or clutch member driven by the drive shaft and manually movable from a neutral position into engagement with the 'pinions for determining the direction of rotation of the rolls.

To this conventional drive mechanism I have added a novelcontrol means operably connected to the reversing gear or clutch member and to the pressure applying mechanism for the wringer rolls in such a manner that when the pressure on the rolls is released by the manipulation of a safety releasemember the control device will automatically return the reversing gear or clutch member to the neutral position and thereby disconnect the rolls from the power drive means.

A more specific object of. the invention resides in providing a control mechanism of the abovementioned class which will function by its own inherent power independently of the power-operated drive means for the rolls of the wringer to automatically operate the reversing clutch member of the roll drive mechanism.

Another object is to provide the power drive mechanism of a pressure roll wringer with a control device that will be automatically moved to a predetermined cocked position ready to function when the pressure-applying mechanism and reversing member are moved to their respective effective positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a control means for the conventional drive mechanism of a pressure roll wringer which is simple,

compact and economical in construction and which may be readily incorporated therein.

Other objects and advantages pertaining to the details of the structure and to the form and relation of the parts-thereof will more fully appear from the following description taken in connec- (Cl. Bib-32) tion with the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a roll wringer embodying the various features of this invention, together with a portion of the upper end of a washing machine vat with parts thereof broken away and shown in section:

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2, Figure 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the gear case and the adjacent end of. the wringer together with a portion of the upper end thereof with my novel control device associated therewith.

Figure 4 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken substantially in the plane of the line fl-t Figure 3, illustrating the trigger mechanism for maintaining the control plate in the latched orcocked position and a portion of the means actuated by the safety device of the wringer for operating the trigger mechanism.

Figure 5 is an inner face view of the trans- 9 mission cover taken substantially in the plane of pending applications Serial No. 694,428 filed October 20, 1933 and Serial No. 699,937 filed November 27, 1933, and Serial No. 699,938 filed November 27, 1933. These co-pending applications differ from the present application and from each other mainly in the operation and construction of the control means for the power means for operating. the wringer rolls. For instance, in application Serial No. 694,428, the driving clutch element is provided with a plurality of cam surfaces cooperating with a plurality of push buttons whereby the power-of. the drive shaft is utilized to engage or disengage the drive clutch element either upon manual operation of the push buttons or upon release of the safety device. Y

Application Serial No. 699,937 comprises a clutch means connected directly with the drive shaft for operating the wringer rolls. This clutch means is associated with a push rodv and with the power of the drive shaft may be utilized for engaging or disengaging. the conventional drive clutch element either upon manual operation of the push rod or upon release of the safety device.

Application Serial No. 699,938 embodies a pair of planetary gear systems and control means therefor whereby'the wringer rolls may be operatively connected or disconnected with the drive shaft by a manually operated means or by the release of the safety device for the wringer rolls. In the present application, there is provided a control mechanism which functions independently of the power drive means for the wringer rolls and which is so connected with said power drive means and with the safety device for releasing the spring pressure of. the wringer rolls that the drive mechanism will be automatically disconnected thereby by the release of the safety device.

The device as illustrated in the drawings comprises a pressure roll wringer indicated at l secured at one end to a transmission case 2 of the power drive mechanism for the wringer rolls. The transmission case 2 contains substantially all of the mechanism comprising this invention and is mounted upon the upper end of a tubular drive shaft housing 3 adapted to contain the usual drive shaft 4.

The housing 3 may be secured in any well known manner to the side of a washing vat A while the shaft 4 may be operably connected to a suitable power unit such as an electric motor or.

the like with which a washing machine is provided in the usual maner.

The transmission case 2 is rotatively mounted upon the housing 3 so that the wringer I may be swung in a horizontal plane about the axis of the housing from a position over the washer vat to one or more positions at one side of said vat and then be releasably secured in any one of these positions in a manner presently described,-and inasmuch as these members do not constitute any part of this invention, it is thought that further illustration or description thereof is unnecessary.

The wringer is constructed in the conventional manner and comprises a pair of. rollers 6 and I mounted one upon the other in a. frame composed, in this instance, of two vertically disposed end members 8 and 9 substantially U-shaped in cross section and which are tied together at their lower ends by a suitable cross member l0. An upper cross member or head II of substantially U-shaped formation is mounted upon the upper ends of the side members 8 and 3 and is detachably connected at one end with one of the side members as 9 by a catch arrangement indicated at |2 formed by pressing adjacent portions of the head and side member outwardly. The other end of. the head II is pivotally connected by a bolt l3 to the upper end of a U-shaped lock bar .|4 positioned in the end member 8 and which is designed to releasably secure the head I in place in a manner hereinafter more fully explained.

The rolls 6 and I are mounted in suitable bearings provided in the frame sides 8 and 9. The lower roll as I may, as shown in Figure 3, be mounted in a swinging U-shaped bracket |6 which is supported on a transverse rod I! mounted in the frame end 8 above the roll shaft I 6. The upper roll 6 is guided in the wringer frame by bearing members which engage the uppersurface of. the shaft 2| of the roll. The upper roll is yieldingly pressed into engagement with the lower roll I with greater or less pressure determined by a pressure spring 23 extending longltudinally through the head II with the ends thereof resting upon the upper face of the upper roll bearings 20. The tension of the spring 23 may be manually controlled in any suitable manner as by a tension screw 24, mounted in the head intermediate the ends thereof in the conventional manner.

The wringer I is secured to the case 2 by a pair of screws 25-which pass through registering holes formed in the side wall of the case 2 and a pair of outwardly bent flanges 26 formed on the frame end 8. The transmission case 2 is a substantially rectangular box-like member formed with the end thereof opposite the wringer I open.

A cover member 28 is secured to the case 2 for' closing said open side by any suitable means such as the screws 29. The case 2 has a pendant boss 30 provided with a shaft opening 3| which rotatably receives the upper end portion of. the tubular housing 3. The upper end of the housing 3 engages the inner end wall 3| of the opening 3| for limiting the downward movement of the case 2 on the housing 3.

It will now be understood that the case 2 and wringer I may be readily swung in a horizontal plane about the housing 3 as a pivot to a plurality of predetermined positions as from a position over the washing vat to required positions at one side of said vat over a laundry tray or the like, not shown. The case and wringer may be releasably secured in adjusted position by any suitable means, as the spring-actuated lock pin 33 mounted in the boss 30, for engagement with a selected one of. a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes 34 provided in the upper end portion of the housing 3.

The upper end of the drive shaft 4 terminates, in this instance, a short distance below the upper end of the housing 3 and has a pin and slot connection as indicated at 35 with the lowerend of a vertically disposed stub shaft 36 which extends upwardly into the case 2, as shown in Figure 3, so that the case and wringer may be readily removed from the housing 3 by a vertical movement thereof after the lock pin 33 has been withdrawn from holding engageme I with the housing 3.

The stub shaft 36 is journaled at its upper end in a pendant hollow boss 31 formed integral with the upper wall of the case 2 in co-axial alinement with the shaft opening 3|. The shaft 36' is also journaled intermediate its ends in a bearing member 38 formed in the lower wall of the case 2 at the upper end of the opening 3|.

Rotatably mounted upon the shaft 36 is a pair of opposed bevel pinions 46 arranged in longitudinally spaced relation and which are in constant mesh with a bevel gear 4| journaled in the case 2 in the manner illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings. That is, the gear 4| is provided with an outwardly extending hollow boss 42 which, in turn, is journaled in a hollow boss 43 formed on a vertical wall or partition 44 provided in' the case 2.

The gear 4| is operably connected with the lower roll I for driving the same by means of a flexible drive coupling 45 positioned in the gear hub 42 and which has a pin and slot connection as at 46 and 41 with the roll shaft I3 and gear 4| respectively.

Each of the pinions 40 is provided on the inner face thereof with the usual inwardly extending clutch elements or teeth 46' adapted to be engaged by similar clutch elements or teeth 56 provided on opposite ends of a clutch member 60 which is slidably mounted on the shaft 36 interaovaesa mediate the pinions 48 for the purpose of transmitting motion from the shaftto said pinions, said clutch member 58 being keyed to the shaft 36 as at 5i so that the clutch member will be positively driven by the shaft. I

' The clutch member 58 is provided with a neripheral annular groove 52 in which is positioned a roller 53 mounted on a stud 53 secured to a crank arm 54. The crank arm 54 is mounted ecc'entrlcally on the square end of a shaft 55, which is journaled in the cover 28 in a horizontal plane substantially midway between the pinions 48 with the axis of said shaft extending substantially normal to and intersecting the axis of the shaft 36. The shaft 55 extends through the cover 28 and has secured to the outer end thereof a suitable lever 55 adapted to provide a convenient handle by which the shaft 55 and crank arm 54 may be rotated.

In order that the clutch member 58 may be releasably maintained in the neutral position substantially midway between the pinions 48, I have provided a friction member for engaging the shaft 55 adapted to releasably maintain said shaft against rotation and which comprises in this instance a spring-pressed ball or pin 58 mounted in the cover 28 and which is adapted to engage in a recess 59 formed in the adjacent portion of the shaft 55 and which registers with said member 58 when the roller stud 53' is co-ineidental with the horizontal plane passing through the axis of the shaft 55.

It will now be observed that the mechanism thus far described is constructed and operates in the conventional manner to rotate the wringer rolis 6 and l. That is, the clutch member 50 is positively driven by the shaft 86 which, in turn, is rotated by the constantly rotating drive shaft 8; the wringer rolls may be rotated in one direction or the other as desired by swinging the handle 56 from the upright position as shown in Figures 1 and 3 to bring the clutch into operative engagement with one or the other of the pinions 88, depending upon the desired direction of rotation of the rolls and the driving action, of the shaft upon the rolls 8 and '17 may be manually discontinued by simply returning the handle 56 to the normal or vertical position and thereby return the clutch member 58 to the neutral position out of engagement with the pinions 40 substantially midway therebetween.

In order that the clutch member 58, when in driving engagement with either one of the pin ions 48, may be automatically returned to the neutral position out of driving engagement with said pinions when the pressure on the rolls 6 and l is released, I have provided the power transmission mechanism for the rolls with a novel control mechanism associated with the clutch member operating shaft 55 and with the wringer head lock bar I4. This control device comprises, in this instance, a slide member or plate 68 mounted in the cover 28 and which is guided for vertical reciprocatory movement in suitable guideways or grooves 6i and 62 formed in the inner face of corresponding inwardly projecting bosses or flanges 63 and 64 secured to or made integral with the cover 28 adjacent respectively the upper and lower ends thereof, as shown more clearly in Figure 5.

The plate 68 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 65 near the upper end thereof adapted to receive the shaft 55 therethrough so as to permit the free rotary movement of the shaft and at the same time provides for the required longitudinal sliding movement of the plate 68 in the grooves 6| and 62. The plate 68, in this instance, is positioned in a vertical plane intermediate the crank arm 54 and the side wall of the cover 28 and is maintained in sliding engagement with the grooves 6| and 62 by the shaft 55 which is enlarged in diameter to extend beyond the sides of the slot 65 over the adjacent surface of the plate 60 as illustrated at 66, Figure 3.

The upper end of the slide 68 is connected with the crank arm 54 by means of a connecting link 61 which has one end thereof pivotally secured by a pin or stud 68 to the crank arm 54 eccentric to the shaft 55 and at substantially right angles to the stud roller 53. The other or upper end of the link 61 is secured to the plate 68 by a shouldered stud 69 secured to said plate and which passes through an elongated slot 18 provided in the link 61, said slot being of suflicient length to permit the free rotary movement of the shaft 55 and crank arm 54 necessary to manipulate the clutch member 58 when the plate 68 is in its lowermost inoperative or cooked position.

The plate 60 is normally urged upwardly by a pair of tension springs 12 positioned one adjacent either side of the major portion of the plate 60 with the upper ends thereof secured to the cover 28 by respective studs 13, while the other or lower end of each spring is secured to a respective side of the plate 68 as at M. The plate 68 is releasably held in its lowermost inoperative position against the action of the springs 12 by a trigger mechanism 15.

This trigger mechanism comprises a member I6 mounted on the cover 28 adjacent the inner face of the plate 68 at the lower end thereof, and a trigger rod H which operatively connects the latch member with the lock bar M'of the wringer i. The latch member it, in this instance, comprises a substantially U-shaped frame l8 which has the ends thereof pivotally connected by a pair of pins id to a supporting bracket 88 secured by screws 8i or other suitable means to the lower end wall of the cover 28, The pins H8, in this instance, are screw threaded or otherwise secured to the bracket and extend into corresponding apertures 82 formed in the side members l8 of the frame 18.

The latch frame l8 has the transverse portion l8" thereof provided with a lateral projection 83 which extends upwardly from substantially the central portion thereof for supporting a catch or detent 84. The detent 84 is also a U-shaped member having the sides as 84 thereof pivotally connected as at 85 to the member 83 adjacent the upper ends thereof, while the outer edge of these side members are tapered or beveled outwardly from the upper ends thereof adjacent the pivot 85 to the lower end for extending beyond the projection 83 into a transverse elongated slot 86 provided in the lower end of the plate 60.

The side members 84' of the detent 84 are automatically urged outwardly toward the plate 58 by means of a coil spring 81 mounted on the pivot shaft 85 intermediate the members 83 of the projection 83 with one end thereof engaging said projection and the other end engaging the transverse portion as 84" of the detent 84. The outward swinging movement of the detent 84 produced by the action of the spring 81 is limited by the engagement of the transverse portion 84" of the detent with the adjacent portion of the members 83 of the projection 83 as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.

latch The frame I9 is also provided with a horizontally disposed rearwardly extending flange 99 positioned at one side of the projection 99 in the path of movement of the trigger rod 11 to be engaged by said rod for releasably preventing the inward pivotal movement of the latch frame about the pins I9 when the detent 99 is in holding engagement with the plate 99.

The trigger rod 11 extends inwardly in a substantially horizontal plane from the latch frame 19 through the transmission case 2 and is slidably mounted for longitudinal movement in bearing members 99 and 99 provided respectively on the bearing member 99 and partition 99. The trigger rod 11 is provided with a stop member 9| comprising in this instance a snap ring adapted to engage the outer end of the bearing member 99' for limiting the inward movement of said rod. The inner end of the rod 11 terminates in the wringer frame end 9 adjacent one side member 92 of the hereinbefore mentioned U-shaped lock bar I9 comprising a member of the safety pressure release mechanism incorporated .with the wringer I. v

This safety pressure release mechanism, as illustrated in the drawings, is a well-known type of safety control for wringer rolls and as more fully described in my co-pending application, Serial Number 694,428, it comprises briefly the hereinbefore mentioned U-shaped lock bar I4 having, as before stated, the upper ends of the side arms 92 pivotally connected to the head II at I9 and extends downwardly from said pivot through the frame end 9 between the rod [1 and a similarly disposed rod 99 with the lower ends of the arms terminating near the bottom of the frame end and connected by a transverse portion 94.

Each arm 92 of the lock bar I4 has a longitudinal notch 95 in a vertical edge thereof for receiving the pin II therein and a cam surface 99 in the opposite edge adapted to engage the rod 99 as the lock bar I4 is being moved downwardly to the lowermost position.

The recesses 95, cam surfaces 99, and the rods I1 and 99 are so related that when the head II and lock bar I4 are moved downwardly toward the lowermost position, the lower end of the lock bar will be swung outwardly by the engagement of the cam surface 99 with the pin 99 toward the pin II so that when the head II and lock bar I 9.

are in the lowermost position, the lower end of the lock bar will be in the outermost position with the rod I'I registering in the slot adjacent the lower end thereof, to prevent direct upward movement of said lock bar.

The lock bar I9 is releasably maintained in its lowermost position by a substantially horizontally disposed catch plate 99 pivotally mounted at its inner end as at 99 to the cross frame I9 in spaced relation to the lock bar I I. The other or free end of the catch plate extends beneath the transverse portion 94 of the lock bar and is yieldingly maintained in contact therewith by means of a compression spring I99 mounted on a guide rod I9I which is connected with the catch plate and cross member I9 for also limiting the upward movement of the catch plate.

The catch plate 99 is provided with upwardly extending flanges I92 adjacent each longitudinal edge thereof which are adapted when the plate is in its uppermost position in contact with the transverse portion 99 of the lock bar to abut the inner side of said transverse portion and prevent inward swinging movement of the lock bar.

The catch plate 99 is moved downwardly against the action of the spring.l99 by a trip plate I94 which is pivotally mounted at I95 to the wringer frame. This trip plate is disposed in nearly a vertical plane with the lower end thereof in engagement with the side flanges or abutment.

These rock arms are similar in construction and extend vertically through the frame end 9, one adJacent either side thereof, and are pivotally mounted intermediate their ends upon the hereinbefore mentioned rod 99. The arms I 99, may, as.

shown, be connected by a cross member I 91 whereby said arms will rock in unison.

The upper ends of the arms I98 terminate a short distance below the upperend of the frame end 9 and each is connected with a pin I99 which extends outwardly through an elongated slot H9 in the respective sides of the frame end 9. These pins I99 are each connected at their outer ends to one end of a corresponding safety release bar III in the conventional manner through the meililzlm of a suitable link mechanism indicated at I The safety release bars I II are usually positioned one at either side of the wringer frame-and have the ends thereof opposite the pins I 99 connected through asuitable link mechanism, not shown, to the frame end member 9. The safety release bars are normally maintained in their outermost position in spaced relation to the wringer frame and the linkage connection between said bars and the frame end 9 and the rock arms I96 are such that when one or the other of the bars III are pressed inwardly toward the wringer frame, the pins I 99 and, therefore, the upper ends of the rock arms I96 will be moved outwardly causing the arms to rock about the rod 99 as an axis. This outward movement of the upper ends of the arms I99 obviously produces a corresponding inward movement of the lower ends of the arms which will rock the trip plate I99 about'the pivot I95 and thereby press the latch plate 99 downwardly sufficiently to bring the abutment members I92 out of holding engagement with the lock bar I4. As the catch plate 99 re leases the lower end of the lock bar, said bar will then be caused to swing inwardly out of holding relation with the rod I'I due to the action of the pressure spring 23 which, it will be remembered, is connected with the wringer head II and .tensioned'to normally separate said head and the bearing members 29 so that as soon as the lock bar I 4 moves out of holding engagement withthe rod I1 the spring 23 will cause the lock bar and head II to quickly move upwardly and thereby release the tension of said spring upon the upper wringer roll 6.

It will therefore be obvious that, as soon as the lock bar I 4 is released by the catch plate 99, and the lower end thereof is caused to swing inwardly by the action of the spring 23 as the lock bar is moved out of engagement with the rod I I, the

4 trigger rod 11 will be released by the lock bar and be free to move inwardly from holding engagement with the latch frame I8. As soon as the latch frame I9 is thus released by the lock' bar, the action of the springs 12 upon the plate 99 tending to draw said plate upwardly will cause ,the detent 94 to move out of holding engagement with the plate 99 by effecting the inward rocking movement of the latch frame. I9 about the pivots. I9

Operation Assuming that the wringer head Ii and lock bar ll are in their lowermost positions for maintaining a constant pressure between the wringer rolls 5 and I through the medium of the spring 23 and that the control plate 60 is maintained in its lowermost cocked position against the action of the springs 12 by the trigger mechanism, as

illustrated by full lines in Figures 3 and 5, it will now be obvious that the stud 69 will be in its lowermost position so that the link 51 is free to move downwardly until the upper end of the slot Ill engages the stud 69 and thereby permit sufficient free rocking movement of the crank arm 54 to bring the roller 53 from a position in the horizontal plane of the axis of the shaft 55 at one side thereof into a position in a vertical plane either above or below said shaft for the purpose of moving the clutch member 55 axially along the shaft 55 into clutching engagement with one or the other of the pinions 40.

it will now be readily understood that when the control plate 65 is in its lowermost inoperative position that the clutch member 55 may be moved in the conventional manner by the manipulation of the lever 56 from the neutral position intermediate the pinions 45 into clutching engagement with either one of the pinions Ml for operativeiy connecting the shaft 35 with the roller shaft it for producing a corresponding rotary movement of the rollers 8 and i. Likewise, the clutch member 55 may be returned to the neutral position out of clutching engagement with the pinions by manipulating the lever 55 in the conventional manner.

If, however, the clutch member 50 is in clutching engagement with one of the pinions 45, for instance, the upper positioned pinion as viewed in Figure 3, it will be obvious that the roller 53 will then be in the vertical position above the axis of the shaft 55 and that the stud 68 will be positioned at the right of the shaft 55 as viewed in Figure 3 in the horizontal plane of the axis of said shaft, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3, and the stud 69 will be positioned adjacent the upper end of the slot it in the link 61 due to the link being drawn to its lowermost position by the stud 68.

Assuming now that when the control plate 6|] is in its lowermost position andthe member 5|] is in engagement with the upper pinion 4|] so that one of the safety release bars I ll is pressed inwardly to effect the release of the pressure upon the rolls 6 and I, it will follow that, as the trigger rod 11 is released from holding engagement with the latch frame 18 due to the inward movement of the lock bar M in the manner hereinbefore described, the control plate 60 will be released by the detent 84 and permitted to be moved upwardly by the action of the springs I2. The upward movement of the plate 60 will produce a corresponding movement of the connecting link 61 through the'medium of the stud 69 and thereby produce a rotary movement of the crank arm 54 and shaft 55 until the stud 58 and link 61 assume their uppermost positions in a vertical plane about the axis of the shaft 55.

This rotation of the shaft 55 and crank arm 54, will, of course, produce a corresponding rotation of the roller 53 which will return the clutch member 50 to its neutral position intermediate the pinions 40, thereby disconnecting the shaft 36 from the pinions and permitting the rollers 6 and 'l to cease rotating.

When the control plate 6|] is in its uppermost operative position for yieldingly maintaining the clutch member 50 in the neutral position, this control plate may be readily brought to and secured in its lowermost cocked position without any specific action or conscious effort on the part of the operator in the following manner.

After the pressure on the wringer rolls has been released, it is obvious that before the'wringer can again be utilized for drying clothes, fabric or the like, that the said pressure must be restored to the rolls which is accomplished in the usual manner by pressing downwardly on the head ll until the lock bar 14 is secured in its innermost position by the engagement thereof with the rod Ill and catch plate 98. As the lock bar i4 is thus brought into its normal operative position, the trigger rod Tl Will be automatically brought into engagement with the flange 89 of the latch member l5 and will rock said latch member about the pivot 19 into the operative position for holding the control plate 60 in its lowermost inoperative position, but inasmuch as the plate 55 is in its uppermost position, the holding portions at of the detent 84 will extend outwardly from the side of the latch frame i8 beneath the plate 5i] in the path of movement thereof. The plate 50 may then be brought to its lowermost position without any conscious effort on the operators part, by, and whenever the lever 55 is swung in either direction from the horizontal to bring the clutch member 50 into clutching engagement with one or the other of the pinions 45.

This movement of the plate (ill to the cooked position, as will be clearly understood by referring to Figure 3, is eifected through the medium of the connecting link 61 and studs 58 and 69 in the following manner.

When the clutch member 50 is in a neutral position as before stated, the studs 68 and 69 will be in vertical alinement in the plane above the axis of the shaft 55 so that when the crank arm 54 and roller 53 is rotated to bring the clutch member 50 into engagement with one of the pinions 40, the stud 68 will likewise be rotated about the axis of the shaft 55 in a downward direction, thereby producing a corresponding downward movement of the plate 60 through the medium of link 61. As the plate 60 engages the upper portion of the detent-holding members or fingers 84', the detent Will be rocked inwardly about the axis of the pivot 85 against the action of the spring 81 until the slot 86 registers with said finger portions of the detent, whereupon these finger portions will be moved into the slot by the action of the spring 31 in position to engage the plate'at the lower side of the slot and thus again maintain the plate in its lowermost cocked position.

Although the control mechanism shown and specifically described herein is very simple in construction and operation, I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown as various changes in the form and relation of parts thereof may readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a safety device for releasing the spring pressure of a roll wringing mechanism, of manually controlled power drive means for rotating the wringer rolls in either direction, a power means independent of the power drive means and said pressure means adapted to disengage the power drive means to effect the stopping of rotation of the rolls, and means set into operation by the release of the safety device for effecting the operation of said power means.

2. A device as in claim 1, wherein the power means including a resilient member which is efl'ective after the release of the safety device for maintaining the power drive means disengaged under yielding pressure.

3i The combination with a safety device for releasing the spring pressure of a roll wringing mechanism, of manually controlled. means for driving the wringer rolls in either direction, a control device actuated by a source of power independent of said roll pressure and said drive means for moving said manually controlled drive means to a neutral position; and means set into operation by the release'of the safety device for effecting the operation of said control means.

4. The combination with a safety device for releasing the spring pressure of a roll wringing mechanism, of a driving and reversing mechanism for the rolls, said mechanism including a drive clutch element. a pair of driven clutch elements, and manually operated control means for actuating the drive clutch element to bring the same into and out of engagement with the driven clutch elements to effect starting, stopping and reversing of the rolls, a control device actuated by a source of power independent of said roll pressure and said drive means for moving said drive clutch element to a neutral position, and means set into operation by the release of the safety device for effecting the operation of said control means. I

5. The combination with a safety device for a roll wringing mechanism, of a drive mechanism for rotating the rolls, manually operated means for engaging and disengaging said mechanism, a control element operatively connected with the -manually operated means for moving said means, retaining means associated with the control element and with the safety device for maintaining said control element in a position to enable the free operation of the manually operated means independently of the control element, means for releasing said retaining means upon operation of the safety device, and means operating independently of the drive mechanism for actuating the control element whenelement only when said control element is in the inoperative position, retaining means associated with the control element and with the safety device for maintaining said control element in the inoperative position and adapted to release said control element upon operation of the safety device, and resilient means for actuating the control element, when said control element is released to disengage the drive mechanism.

7. The combination with a safety device for releasing the spring pressure of a roll wringing mechanism. of a drive mechanism for rotating the rolls, manually operated means for engaging and disengaging said mechanism, a spring actu- I said control element in the inoperative position against the action of said spring and adapted to release said control element upon operation of the safety device whereby the control element will automatically disengage the drive mechanism when the pressure on the rolls is released by said operation of the safety device.

8. The combination with a pressure safety device for a roll wringing mechanism, of a drive mechanism for the rolls comprising a drive shaft and a clutch mechanism on the drive shaft, a casing for enclosing the clutch mechanism, manually operated means mounted in the casing and extending to the outside thereof for engaging and disengaging the clutch mechanism, separate control means disposed within the casing, and means including a spring for operating said separate control means independently of the drive shaft for automatically operating the 9. The combination with a pressure safety device for a roll wringing mechanism, of driving mechanism including a clutch for rotating the wringer rolls, a casing for enclosing the driving mechanism, manually operated means mounted in the casing and extending to the outside thereof whereby the clutch may be manually operated to control the movement of the wringer rolls, a separate control element disposed in the easing, means operably connecting the control element with the clutch whereby said clutch may be operated by said manually operatedmeans independently of the control element only when said control element is in an inoperative posi- 'tion, holding means for releasably maintaining the control element in the inoperative position,

means controlled by the safety device for releasing said holding means when said safety device is operated, and means operating independently of the driving mechanism for automatically opcrating the control element to disconnect the clutch when said holding means are released.

10. The combination with a roll wringing mechanism having a safety device for releasably maintaining the rolls in pressure engagement, of driving mechanism for rotating the rolls, manually operated means for engaging and disengaging said mechanism to control the operation of said rolls, a control slide, trigger means for releasably maintaining the slide in a cooked position, means operatively connecting the slide with the manually operated means whereby said manually operated means may operate independently of the control slide when said slide is in the operative position and the mechanism will be disengaged automatially by the action of the slide when said slide is released, meansfor releasing said trigger means upon release of said safety device, and means for actuating the control slide when said slide is released by the trigger means.

. 11. The combination with a roll wringing mechanism having a safety device for releasably maintaining the rolls in pressure engagement, of

, driving mechanism for rotating the rolls, manually operated means for engaging and disengaging said mechanism to control the operation of the wringer, a spring actuated control slide, trigger means for releasably maintaining the slidein a cooked positionto permit the free operation of said manually operated means, means for releasing said trigger means upon release of said safetyv device, means including a lost motion linkage operably connecting the slide with the driving mechanism whereby said mechanism will be disrolls, manually operated means for engaging and disengaging said mechanism, a control element connected by a lost motion-linkage with themanually operated means, releasable means formaintaming said control element ina position such as to enable free control of said driving mechanism by said manually operated means, means actuated by the safety device for releasing said releasable" means, and spring means for removing said control element to disengage the driving mechanism upon release of said releasable means. a 13. The combination with a safety device for releasing the spring pressure of a roll wringing mechanism, of a driving mechanism for rotating the rolls, manually operated means for controlling the operation of said driving mechanism, and means operated by the safety device for discon-. necting the driving mechanism upon operation of the safety device, said latter means comprising a spring operated control member.

14. The combination with a safety device for releasing the Spring pressure of a roll wringing mechanism, of a driving mechanism for rotating the rolls, manually operated means for controlling the operationof said driving mechanism, and means operated by the safety device for disconnecting the driving mechanism upon operation of .the safety device, said latter means comprising a control member, latch means for maintaining said control member in an inoperative position, and spring meansfor moving said control memher to driving mechanism disengaging position.

15. The combination with a safety device for releasing the spring pressure of aroll wringing mechanism, of a driving mechanism for rotating the rolls, manually operated means for controlling the operation of said driving mechanism, a con-- trol element for the driving mechanism, means comprising a latch for maintaining said control element in a position such as to enable free control of the driving mechanism by said manually operated means, means inter-connecting said safety device and said latch element for enabling movement of the latch element from control element maintaining position upon actuation of the safety device, and spring means for moving said control element to disengage the driving mechanism upon movement of the latch element.

16. The combination with a pressure safety device for releasing the spring pressure of wringer rolls, of a unitary driving and reversing mechanism for said rolls, a casing for housing said unitary driving and reversing mechanism, a drive shaft extending into said casing, said roll wringing mechanism extending and being supported from the casing, manually operated means mounted in the casing and extending to the outside thereof.

for controlling the operation of said driving and reversing mechanism, separate resiliently operated control means disposed within the casing,

mechanism, of a driving mechanism for rotating I 1 the rolls, manually operated means for controlling the wringer'rolls in either direction, said drive means including a manually. operated control member movable from and to a neutral position for effecting engagement and disengagement of the power means, a power operated means including a control element operatively connected with the control member whereby said movement of the member from the neutral position will move the control element to a cocked position and permit free operation of the control member independently of the control element when said element is in the cocked position, trigger means for releasably maintaining the control element in the cooked position, and trigger actuating means set into operation by the release of the safety device for releasing the control element whereby said power operated means may effect return of the control member to the neutral position for automatically stopping operation of the rolls.

PETER EDUARD GELDHOF'.

- mechanism, of apower drive means for rotating 

